Tag: michael brockers

Lions final injury report for Week 13 vs. Vikings: Swift out, Sewell questionable

Lions final injury report for Week 13 vs. Vikings: RB D’Andre Swift out, RT Penei Sewell questionable

The Detroit Lions offense could be at a disadvantage on Sunday when the Minnesota Vikings visit Ford Field for the Week 13 matchup. Versatile running back D’Andre Swift is one of four Lions ruled out for the game with injury, and right tackle Penei Sewell is listed as questionable.

Swift was expected to be out after injuring his shoulder in the Week 12 loss to the Bears. He will be joined on the sidelines by starting OLB Trey Flowers (knee), starting MLB Jalen Reeves-Maybin (shoulder) and reserve DB Bobby Price (shoulder).

Sewell missed one practice this week with an undisclosed illness, as did WR KhaDarel Hodge. Sewell is listed as questionable for the game after being limited in the other two practice sessions, while Hodge carries no designation.

Reserve tackle Matt Nelson, who would project to start if Sewell can’t play, is also questionable as he returns from an ankle injury. Will Holden is the only other tackle on the roster aside from starting LT Taylor Decker, though the Lions do have veterans Dan Skipper and Parker Ehinger on the practice squad. Ehinger was active for last week’s game.

Veteran DE Michael Brockers is also questionable with a knee injury that left him limited all week. On a more positive note, starting RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai has cleared the NFL concussion protocols and will start against Minnesota.

 

Sean McVay admits Rams miss Michael Brockers’ leadership and production

Sean McVay had nothing but compliments for Michael Brockers ahead of the meeting between the Rams and the Lions in Week 7.

The Los Angeles Rams sent Jared Goff to the Detroit Lions to acquire Matthew Stafford this past offseason, but that wasn’t the only move the Rams and Lions conducted. In what was an emotional move for fans in Los Angeles, the Rams traded Michael Brockers to the Lions in exchange for a future seventh-round pick.

With Los Angeles and Detroit squaring off in Week 7, Sean McVay spoke about how tough it has been to replace the presence and production of Brockers.

“No question. He was a great leader for such a long period of time. He’s got such a big personality and he had such a positive presence on this team,” McVay said. “He was a really productive player. You’re missing him in a lot of instances. What I really think is, some guys have really stepped up and elevated their playing in his absence. You look at a Sebastian Joseph-Day, you look at a Greg Gaines, A’Shawn Robinson, I think those guys have done a really nice job of filling that void. But, you miss his presence, you miss his personality, his production. Michael was a great player for us. Really loved working with him. We wanted to be able to continue to work (together), have him back here and for whatever reason, it didn’t work out, but he’s doing a good job. He’s playing good ball for them.”

Brockers was one of the longest-tenured players on the Rams before being traded in the offseason. The veteran defensive tackle was one of the few players that experienced the dark days with the St. Louis Rams under Jeff Fisher, to the winning culture under McVay from 2017-2020.

During his nine years with the Rams, Brockers was one of the vocal leaders on defense. While Brockers didn’t accumulate the sacks that Aaron Donald has, he still had 28 sacks in his career with the Rams, and he was productive in areas that weren’t visible in a box score.

There’s a ton of attention centered around Stafford and Goff facing their former teams on Sunday, and rightfully so. But along with fans showing their appreciation for Goff, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Brockers get a warm welcome from the fans in Los Angeles this weekend.

[listicle id=654998]

Lions practice report: Jamie Collins out for non-injury reason

Lions practice report: LB Jamie Collins missed Wednesday’s walkthrough for non-injury reasons

The Detroit Lions released their first injury update for Week 3 following Wednesday’s practice session. One of the players who did not participate was out with a non-injury reason.

Starting linebacker Jamie Collins missed the session with the designation of “not injury related”. Collins played all but two snaps on Monday night in the loss to the Packers but did not play particularly well. The reason for Collins’ absence was not given beyond the official designation.

Wednesday’s session was just a walkthrough and was not open to the media. The Lions provided estimated injury statuses for several players.

Outside LB Trey Flowers and wide receiver Tyrell Williams were designated out. Flowers was listed with both an ankle and knee injury, while Williams continues to remain idle with the concussion he suffered in Week 1.

Five players were designated as limited participants:

  • DE Michael Brockers (shoulder)
  • OLD Romeo Okwara (shoulder)
  • WR Kalif Raymond (thigh)
  • DE Kevin Strong (concussion)
  • RB D’Andre Swift (groin)

Strong was ruled out of Week 2 with his brain injury, so having him designated as limited indicates some progress in getting the DE back on the field.

Da’Shawn Hand looks to revitalize his career with contract year ahead

Heading into his contract year, Detroit Lions DL Da’Shawn Hands is taking advantage of a strong camp in hopes of revitalizing his career

As training camp progresses and we start rolling into preseason games, we are starting to see how players may fit into the new-look Detroit Lions scheme. Some players have adapted nicely into the system, and some are still trying to find their footing, either be through injury or other means.

We always hope for some players to show out during this time, be it a feel-good story or a redemption comeback, hoping they can find a way onto the team. One player, in particular, teased us at the beginning of his career with his massive potential, but since then, he has found a hard time staying on the field to prove he belongs on this team.

Da’Shawn Hand was drafted in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL draft by the Lions and almost overnight proved he could deliver the goods as a run defender and pass rusher. He didn’t have the most eye-popping stat his rookie year, 27 tackles and three sacks, but he was disruption on the field where the offense had to account for him on every down.

You ever get have that taste of something so good where it left you craving for more only to find out the place that makes it went out of business? Well, that has been Hand’s career so far.

He showed everyone exactly what he could do on the field and had the highest expectations heading into his sophomore season. Unfortunately for Hand, he dealt with an elbow injury and ankle sprains that would hold him out most of the season. As a result, he would only play three games in 2019, registering only four total tackles on 110 snaps.

Hand’s durability was still raising concerns after dealing with a groin injury that would linger into the season, and everyone could see it clearly affected him. He would end up playing the first part of the season but then landed on injured reserve and only ended up playing one out of the final seven games with ankle and groin injuries.

With a new regime in place, Hand hopes to have a new lease on life and find a place along the defensive line. At first, it wasn’t looking too promising with the drafting of Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill, trading for Michael Brockers, and extending Nick Williams. To say it wasn’t looking too good for Hand at the beginning was an understatement, but lately, that narrative has completely changed.

Onwuzurike, Brockers, Williams, and Hand are vying for that interchangeable defensive lineman role, playing various roles from 0T to 5T along the defensive line. Fortunately for Hand, the latter of three have missed some time in training camp, giving Hand reps he might not have gotten if those three ended up seeing the field, and from reports, he has taken complete advantage of them.

On Thursday’s practice, he got some attention when he got the running back in the backfield and a would-be sack. Friday’s practice is when he put on the jets, lining up everywhere on the defensive line and proved equally effective no matter where he was, either be collapsing the pocket, showing off his pass-rushing moves or winning 1-on-1 matchups in the interior. Then to put the cherry on top of a good week, Hand registered another tackle for loss and a sack during Saturday’s scrimmage.

Hand has been dealt, well, a bad hand when it has come to his health the last couple of years. With only managing 13 games the last two seasons, people were willing to write him off and move on. However, if Hand can stay healthy and continue to learn under Brockers, he might be able to find a role with the Lions this season, heading into a contract year, and rejuvenate his career with some untapped potential.

Lions injury update: Dan Campbell provides info on several wounded players

Campbell provided updates on D’Andre Swift, Tyrell Crosby, Jerry Jacobs and other Lions players

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell devoted some of his pre-practice press conference on Thursday morning to update the status of several injured Lions players.

First off, offensive lineman Evan Brown is being activated from the non-football injury list. Brown was placed on the list last week and has not participated in training camp.

Second-year pass rusher Julian Okwara “got a bit of a bruise, a contusion on his ribs”, according to Campbell. The head coach quickly added “he should be fine” and he expects Okwara to be back at practice on Friday.

Defensive end Michael Brockers is getting the veteran treatment.

“We’re just trying to be smart with (Brockers), Campbell said. “He’s a 10-year vet, he’s slugged it out for a long time now and we kind of know what he can do, so we’re just trying to be smart. He’ll get his reps but we kind of know what he is.”

On running back D’Andre Swift, Campbell also downplayed any real worries about any lasting injury.

“Swiftie, he’s good,” Campbell said of his starting RB. “He’s bound pretty tight and he runs hot. We’re trying to get him a load and then back down. We’re kind of working him in. We just want to make sure we’re being smart with him but get him his work. He’s had kind of a bit of a tight groin … he’s getting better, he feels better.”

Tyrell Crosby, slated to be the team’s swing tackle after starting along the offensive line last season, is idled with a hamstring injury.

“He got a hammy,” Campbell said as he grabbed his own hamstring for emphasis. “It looks like a Grade 1 so he’s going to be down a little bit.”

Campbell indicated that Matt Nelson will get the bulk of Crosby’s action and that the team is pleased with the progress of Nelson, who is also getting reps at guard.

On undrafted rookie cornerback Jerry Jacobs, who has been impressive throughout camp, Campbell explained it’s a minor thing. “He got stepped on”, Campbell said of Jacobs’ injured thigh. Jacobs will be a full participant and has no issues beyond the cleat contusion on his thigh.

 

Frank Ragnow leads the way for Lions players in latest Madden 22 ratings

The Madden ratings were not kind for the Detroit Lions, but there are notable ratings that are quite interesting among the team

In the midst of the opening of training camp, EA Sports released their latest Madden 22 ratings for every player and team. With the new regime in place, not many people have high hopes for the Detroit Lions this coming season, and it showed with the ratings that were given to the team and players.

With only five players managing to receive an 80 overall rating or higher, the team came at a 74 overall rating, coming in at third-worst in the league behind the Carolina Panthers (73 overall) and the New York Jets (72 overall).

Frank Ragnow comes in as the highest-rated Lion with an 88 overall rating, which was good enough to (barely) crack Madden’s Top-100 players — coming in right at 100. To no surprise, he is the lone Lions representative. Ragnow is easily the best player on the Lions and will be looked upon as a cornerstone for the organization going through a rebuild.

T.J. Hockenson follows with an 85 overall rating, landing him as the 8th-best tight end in the league. That seems disrespectful considering who is ahead of him: Hunter Henry, Rob Gronkowski, and Austin Hooper. None of those three tight ends came near what Hockenson produced last year and it leaves you scratching your head.

Next comes Michael Brockers (82 overall), who will be looked upon providing a veteran presence, especially for the two rookies, Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill, while providing a force up the middle. Trey Flowers comes in with an 81 overall rating as a right outside linebacker, following suit to his position change from end. He will be a player to keep your eye on with the new coaching and see how he responds.

Finishing out the top five lands us in the special teams category with Pro Bowl sensation punter Jack Fox with an 80 overall rating. Fox lit the NFL on fire leading, averaging 49.1 yards per punt, ranking third in the league, and was easily was one of the better players for the Lions last season.

To round out the top ten Lions, Jamie Collins (79 overall), Tyrell Williams (79 overall), Romeo Okwara (79 overall), D’Andre Swift (78 overall), and Taylor Decker (78 overall). Jamaal Williams finishes outside the top ten with a 77 overall rating, but interesting how close the two running backs are rated.

For the rookies, Penei Sewell comes at a respectable 75 overall, landing him eighth among rookies. McNeill and Onwuzurike each earn a 71 overall rating, Ifeatu Melifonwu and Amon-Ra St. Brown receive a 67 overall rating, Derrick Barnes gets a 66 rating, and Jemar Jefferson lands with a 64 rating.

Since these two are tied at the hip with comparisons, Jared Goff comes in with a 77 overall rating, while ex-Lion Matthew Stafford receives an 83 overall rating.

Other interesting rating nuggets for the Lions:

  • Brockers comes in with the highest tackle rating with a 96, ahead of Aaron Donald with a 95.
  • Williams ranks as the third-best back in the carrying attribute with a 97 rating. Also, rates at the 20th-best back in stiff-arm with an 85 rating.
  • Melifonwu ranks as the 18th-best player (95 rating) in the jumping rating, the best among rookies
  • Goff ranks as the 11th best (86 rating) in medium throw accuracy, 12th best quarterback (88 rating) in the play-action category, and short-throw accuracy (90 rating). But comes at 29th overall with an 89 throw power rating.
  • Kalif Raymond rates as the fastest Lion with a 94 rating in the speed section.
  • Ragnow comes in as the 13th-toughest player rating with a 98 overall, but it should be a 99 considering he played with a broken throat.

Michael Brockers working with Da’Shawn Hand to get ready for training camp

The Lions acquired Brockers this offseason and he’s already showing leadership to the young Hand

Michael Brockers is already paying dividends for the Detroit Lions. The veteran defensive lineman, acquired somewhat quietly this offseason from the Los Angeles Rams, has taken fellow Lions lineman Da’Shawn Hand under his wing this summer.

Brockers and Hand are working out together in Texas in preparation for Detroit Lions training camp, which kicks off in less than a week. The Detroit duo is working out with defensive line specialist coach Brandon Jordan. Brockers posted a video of the workouts and action to his Instagram feed.

It’s great to see Hand getting in some serious work. Now entering his fourth season in Detroit, Hand ha flashed considerable talent but has struggled to stay on the field through a litany of injuries. He sure looks good here.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CRmixsPFOp4/

Michael Brockers embraces Detroit fans, takes shot at Matt Patricia’s communication skills

Michael Brockers embraces Detroit Lions fans, takes shot at Matt Patricia’s communication skills in an interview with Jim Rome

New Lions defensive end Michael Brockers is one of the more respected veteran voices around the league. After nine largely successful seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, Brockers understands the importance of good coaching. And he likes what he sees so far from new Lions head coach Dan Campbell and his staff full of recent former players.

He broke it down in a lucent and engaging interview with Jim Rome on The Jim Rome Show this week.

The communication between the coaches and players was something Brockers picked up on immediately as a positive in Detroit. He also noted it’s a radical change for the players who remain with the Lions after the Matt Patricia era.

Brockers danced around the coaching and communication issue a bit with a nice discourse,

“The way you communicate is vital, because a lot of guys don’t want to be yelled at or screamed at and stuff like that. Some people just want you to talk to them like a man, getting an understanding of what you’re talking about and what you’re trying to teach, and then let’s roll. A lot of players in this league, we’re not about the BS. Just tell us what we’ve got to do, explain it to us in terms that we understand, though, and let’s get the job done.”

And then the gloves came off. This is as pointed of a criticism as you’ll get from a respected veteran player like Brockers.

“There’s a lot of guys coming from that ex-Patricia era, and they’re like, ‘Man, this coaching staff understands. This coaching staff talks to you, they communicate with you.’ And you see a lot of guys loving that and buying in.” Brockers told Rome.

[lawrence-related id=63281]

He also noted some similarities between Campbell and his old head coach in Los Angeles, Sean McVay.

“Working with him is awesome because he reminds me a lot of McVay and how he came in, as far as understands there’s no ego when it comes to his coaching style. It’s all about the team,” Brockers said.

He also sent a warm message to the Lions fans.

“This is a football town. They love the team,” Brockers said enthusiastically. “They’re passionate about the team and where it’s going. No matter how bad the team is doing, no matter how good the team is doing, they’re a Detroit Lions fan … when you have a fan base behind you that’s going to support you and really not put a lot of pressure on you … that’s what I love about the fan base.”

Lions DE Michael Brockers: ‘I gotta get’ a sack on Rams QB Matthew Stafford

Brockers is looking for payback against his old team in Los Angeles

New Lions defensive end Michael Brockers has his eyes set on showing up his old team, the Los Angeles Rams. Traded this offseason for the NFL’s version of a bag of peanuts, Brockers wants to exact some revenge by leading his new team to a win over his high-profile old team in L.A. in Week 7.

“Oh, definitely. Come on now,” he said via Rams Wire. “Just coming to take care of business. You know what I do. All I want to do is win. That’s my only goal.”

But short of winning, Brockers wants to put Rams QB Matthew Stafford on the ground in his old stomping grounds.

“I got to get at least one,” Brockers said of sacking Stafford. “I’m trying to sack every quarterback, but I gotta get that one.”

Stafford was traded from Detroit to Los Angeles in a blockbuster deal this offseason after 12 seasons as the unquestioned franchise quarterback for the Lions.

[vertical-gallery id=62455]

Michael Brockers wants to sack Matthew Stafford at least once in Week 7

Michael Brockers expects the Lions to beat the Rams, too.

Michael Brockers was surprisingly traded to the Detroit Lions this offseason after nine years with the Rams. It was a cap-saving move by Los Angeles, but one that still shocked a lot of fans when the deal was made.

He’ll get the chance to face his former team in Week 7 when the Lions visit the Rams at SoFi Stadium, and it’s a game Brockers already has circled. He and Jared Goff will be looking to beat the team that traded both of them, though doing so will be a challenge with how shaky Detroit’s roster looks.

TMZ Sports asked Brockers if he already has a win circled on his calendar that day, and his response was exactly what you’d expect from a competitive football player.

“Oh, definitely. Come on now,” he said. “Just coming to take care of business. You know what I do. All I want to do is win. That’s my only goal.”

With Goff in Detroit now, Matthew Stafford is the Rams’ new quarterback. Brockers is looking forward to facing him in October and he wants to sack Stafford at least once.

“I got to get at least one,” Brockers said. “I’m trying to sack every quarterback, but I gotta get that one.”

The Rams should be heavy favorites at home in that game, with Detroit expected to be one of the worst teams in football this year. Brockers and Goff will have their work cut out for them against their former team.